Visual impairment that is difficult to relieve turns out to be caused by vitreous hemorrhage

(Disclaimer: This article is for general use only. To protect patient privacy, the information in the following content has been processed.) Abstract: This is a 54-year-old male patient who presented with blurred vision and decreased vision in the right eye with no apparent cause 7 months ago, and was diagnosed with vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye. The symptoms were relieved. He was diagnosed with visual impairment due to vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye, and underwent surgery to restore visual function. [Basic Information] Male, 54 years old [Disease Type] Vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye, additive vitreoretinopathy in the right eye, retinal detachment in the right eye, and concurrent cataract in the right eye [Hospital] The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University [Date of Consultation] February 2022 [Treatment Plan] Vitrectomy + lens removal + IOL implantation + retinal photocoagulation + vitreous cavity gas injection + drug injection in the right eye under general anesthesia. Treatment Period】12 days of inpatient treatment and 2 weeks of outpatient follow-up 【Treatment Result】Clinical cure and restoration of visual function I. Initial Consultation The patient had blurred vision and decreased visual acuity in the right eye with no obvious cause 7 months ago, not accompanied by pain and tearing. He was diagnosed as having vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye and was treated with oral medication and his symptoms were relieved. 1 month ago, he again developed blurred vision and decreased vision in the right eye and was diagnosed as having vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye after consulting other hospitals. He came to our hospital for further treatment and was admitted to our department with the diagnosis of vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye. Since the onset of the disease, the patient was mentally normal. He had normal appetite, normal sleep, normal urine and stool, and no weight loss. On examination of the right eyelid, there was no redness or swelling, the lacrimal spot was positive, no purulent secretions were seen in the area of the compressed tear sac, the conjunctiva was not congested, no abnormal secretions were seen, the sclera was not yellowish, the cornea was transparent, the anterior chamber was moderate, the atrial flicker (-), the iris texture was clear, the color was normal, the pupil was round, about 3 mm in diameter, the light reflex was sensitive, the lens was mildly cloudy, and the vitreous was obviously cloudy. Fundus vision was unclear. The left eyelid was not red and swollen, the lacrimal spot was positive, no purulent discharge was seen in the area of the compressed tear sac, the conjunctiva was not congested, no abnormal secretions were seen, the sclera was not yellowish, the cornea was transparent, and the anterior chamber was moderate. Atrial flash (-), iris texture was clear, color was normal, pupil was round, diameter was about 3 mm, light reflection was sensitive, lens was mildly cloudy, vitreous was mildly oily, fundus optic disc boundary was clear, color was normal, macula central concave reflection was not seen, retinal leopard pattern change, posterior pole retinal flattening. The intraocular pressure showed 13 mmHg in the right eye and 14 mmHg in the left eye, and both eyes were correctly positioned and of acceptable size, with unrestricted motion in all directions. The diagnosis was vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye, proliferative vitreoretinopathy in the right eye, retinal detachment in the right eye, and concurrent cataract in the right eye. The patient had recurrent visual impairment and vision loss for more than 7 months, and the effect of conservative treatment was poor, so after communicating with the patient and his family, surgery was recommended. After the patient and his family agreed, the patient underwent preoperative examination, which indicated that the patient had indications for surgery and there were no obvious contraindications to surgery. The patient was then given vitrectomy + lens removal + IOL implantation + retinal photocoagulation + vitreous cavity gas injection + drug injection in the right eye under general anesthesia. III. Treatment effect Visual acuity check 3 days after surgery showed 0.4 (small hole) in the right eye and 1.0 (small hole) in the left eye. The right eyelid had no redness and swelling, the conjunctiva was mildly congested and edematous, the suture was in place, the cornea was clear, the anterior chamber was moderate, the atrial flash (-), the iris texture was clear, the color was normal, the pupil was round, about 6mm in diameter, the drug was dilated, the IOL was in a positive position, the vitreous was partially filled with gas, the fundus optic disc boundary was clear, the color was still acceptable, the central concave reflection of the macula was not seen, the retina was flat and the laser spot was clear. In the left eye, there was no redness in the eyelid, no congestion in the conjunctiva, no abnormal secretions, transparent cornea, moderate anterior chamber, atrial flicker (-), clear iris texture, normal color, round pupil, about 6mm in diameter, pharmacological dilatation, mild clouding of the lens, mild clouding of the vitreous, clear fundus optic disc border, normal color, no reflection of the central macula, leopard-like changes in the retina, flattening of the retina in the posterior pole. The IOP showed 19 mmHg in the right eye and 17 mmHg in the left eye, and the patient was discharged after 12 days of hospitalization and was instructed to review the patient in 2 weeks. Visual acuity was reviewed 2 weeks after surgery and showed 1.0 (corrected) in the right eye and 1.0 (corrected) in the left eye. Vitreous fluid filling and intraocular pressure, 18.4 mmHg in the right eye and 15.0 mmHg in the left eye, were otherwise unchanged from the appeal situation. From the examination results, the patient achieved clinical cure, recovery of visual function, and a great improvement in quality of life. IV. Precautions After the treatment the patient recovered well and it is nice to help the patient to recover his vision, thus improving his quality of life. Some postoperative precautions should also be explained to the patient and his family before discharge: 1. Because of the patient’s vitreous cavity gas injection, the patient should be kept in a downward facing position for 2 weeks after surgery until the gas is absorbed. If it is not completely absorbed, air travel is prohibited. Regular review at the hospital is also required; 2. Diet should be based on high-protein, high-fiber, easily digestible food, such as eggs, refined meat, fish, fresh fruits, mushrooms, coarse grains, etc. Avoid spicy and stimulating diet, and keep the bowel movement smooth; 3. After discharge, more attention should be paid to rest, avoid straining as well as strenuous exercise, avoid excessive eye use, wash hands more often, and do not rub the eyes to prevent infection. V. Personal insight There are many causes of visual impairment, vitreous hemorrhage is one of them, and vitreous hemorrhage is often closely related to systemic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, peripheral vasculitis, etc. A small amount of hemorrhage can be treated conservatively by taking oral medications and promoting the absorption of the accumulated blood. In the case of repeated large amounts of hemorrhage, proliferating mechanized membranes and neovascular membranes may be formed during the absorption process, leading to retinal detachment, thus creating serious damage to visual function. At this time, early use of vitreoretinal surgery to remove the accumulated blood, remove the vitreoretinal proliferative mechanized membrane, and laser closure of neovascular buds can effectively control the disease development and restore the patient’s visual function. In this case, the patient had repeated fundus hemorrhage, which had formed a proliferative mechanized membrane and pulled the retina, and after timely surgery, the patient’s right eye recovered from missing to 1.0. In summary, vitreous hemorrhage has an aggressive onset, and the course of the disease is easily repeated.